6 Tips for Landing Your First Job!

It can be confusing knowing where to begin or the do’s and dont’s when you’re trying to land your first real job in the work force! Here are 6 of our top tips for reeving up your job search and making it as efficient and successful as possible :

Utilize Your Online Resources: The world wide web allows us to utilize a plethora of resources to assist in our job search. Search job boards and sites like LinkedIn on a daily basis. New jobs are constantly popping up, so be sure your LinkedIn profile is built out and up to date (current work experience, skillsets, coursework, interests, etc.) if you’re applying to jobs on LinkedIn, to better your chances of the job poster looking at your application and profile. Hot tip: Don’t just apply to the big names; smaller companies may have more opportunities for you to get tangible hands on experience. Sign up for newsletters from fashion recruiting companies (like JBC) to get jobs sent right to your inbox bi weekly! You can sign up for ours here: https://bit.ly/2NWNW3K.

Get Experience: Nothing beats hands on experience outside of the classroom. We know it can seem daunting having to start from the bottom and work your way up, but we’ve all had to start somewhere! Get yourself an internship or entry level job. You’ll have the opportunity to pick the brains of seasoned veterans and gain invaluable knowledge from the pros of the industry. If you intern and don’t get a full time offer, don’t stress. Internships look great on resumes and you are now equipped with a repertoire of real life experience to bring elsewhere and some great references. Click here to check out some great entry level roles.

Be Polished and Confident: How you present yourself says a lot about you, especially on an interview. Don’t be like Andy in the beginning of “The Devil Wears Prada”. Be like Andy after she has her style revelation. If you’re interviewing for a fashion company and not sure what the appropriate attire is for the interview, don’t be afraid to ask!

Work With a Recruiter: Why? Because a recruiter’s job is to find you a job that’s a perfect match for your skill set. Make sure to be honest with your recruiter and don’t be afraid to ask questions! They are your own personal spokesperson during the interview process. They will give you great interview advice and resume tips before the interview to ensure you ace it and finally get that stiletto clad foot in the door. We’ve added additional reasons why it’s beneficial to work with a recruiter here.

The Power of Networking: Whether you’re attending career fairs, networking events, or connecting with individuals online, networking can always be beneficial in numerous situations. The job search market is competitive and extremely saturated, so having the right connection(s) that can potentially vouch for you to a hiring manager can definitely help differentiate you from others in the candidate pool.

Finally, Don’t Give Up!: It can be discouraging when all you’re hearing is “no” or you’re not getting a response at all, but don’t give up. If you are passionate about a specific industry, you will get your break, just keep networking, interviewing and utilizing your resources in those killer heels.